US20180148142A1 - Fastening assembly of a fire door to a bulkhead - Google Patents
Fastening assembly of a fire door to a bulkhead Download PDFInfo
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- US20180148142A1 US20180148142A1 US15/525,872 US201515525872A US2018148142A1 US 20180148142 A1 US20180148142 A1 US 20180148142A1 US 201515525872 A US201515525872 A US 201515525872A US 2018148142 A1 US2018148142 A1 US 2018148142A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- bulkhead
- bracket
- frame
- door
- facing
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B43/00—Improving safety of vessels, e.g. damage control, not otherwise provided for
- B63B43/24—Arrangements of watertight doors in bulkheads
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B3/00—Hulls characterised by their structure or component parts
- B63B3/14—Hull parts
- B63B3/56—Bulkheads; Bulkhead reinforcements
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E06—DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; LADDERS
- E06B—FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES
- E06B1/00—Border constructions of openings in walls, floors, or ceilings; Frames to be rigidly mounted in such openings
- E06B1/04—Frames for doors, windows, or the like to be fixed in openings
- E06B1/12—Metal frames
- E06B1/18—Metal frames composed of several parts with respect to the cross-section of the frame itself
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E06—DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; LADDERS
- E06B—FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES
- E06B5/00—Doors, windows, or like closures for special purposes; Border constructions therefor
Definitions
- the present invention pertains, in general, to the field of fastening assemblies of a door to a fixed support; in particular, the invention relates to a fastening assembly of a fire door, in particular to be used in the naval field.
- Fire doors conventionally adopted in shipbuilding are connected by means of a weld joint or bolted joint with through screws on the ship bulkhead.
- the wave load transmits a stress to the vessel structure, which stress becomes critical in C areas tending to thicken in the vicinity of the door compartments; in order to avoid the occurrence of cracks and other fatigue phenomena, due to the localized concentration of the tensions transmitted from the bulkhead to the frame, the corners of the compartments are fitted along radiuses of curvature which make the installation of the door on a plane coplanar to the bulkhead plane uncomfortable.
- the door and the support frame thereof may be previously mounted on the structure, so that the preassembled assembly can be simply transferred on board of the vessel and here constrained to the bulkhead by means of welding.
- Such a configuration allows a further advantage to be achieved, since the constraint made by the additional joining elements allows the number of tightening elements passing through the bulkhead to be decreased, thereby making the on-board installation of the article less difficult.
- the wing of the fire door is highly greater than the deformability of the frame (rigidly constrained to the bulkhead and/or to the subframe), the wing will tend to open up with respect to the frame, thus creating a passageway for heat and fumes.
- the frame and the subframe are connected to each other, according to an embodiment of the invention, by means of a bolted joint, with screws arranged in a direction parallel to the bulkhead: thereby, the frame and the subframe are not subjected to a tightening force on the bulkhead, but only to the maintenance of a mutual distance between two facing brackets (integral with the frame and the subframe, respectively), in order to allow the facing frame and subframe to receive the bulkhead within such brackets, possibly preserving a certain clearance.
- the constraint between the frame and the bulkhead is not rigid, but shaped so as to allow relative displacements between the two parts, the stresses on the frame will not be such as to cause deformations or fatigue damages.
- the bulkhead in addition to being connected to the frame by means of through screws therethrough, is gripped between the frame and the subframe with a force related to the tightening of the joint, so as to generate a high friction between the parts which stiffens the constraint and causes strong stresses on the frame, in the present invention the bulkhead and the frame are only subjected to a location constraint, thus minimizing the friction exchanged between the two elements.
- the frame must be sized to resist only to local loads related to the functions of the door and not to withstand the stresses resulting from the deformations generated by the bulkhead, as it occurs instead in the solutions of the prior art (in which the frame, being rigidly constrained to the bulkhead, becomes a structural element of the vessel).
- a further advantage, achievable by the aforesaid feature consists in that, when the door must withstand a fire condition, the frame, not being rigidly connected to the bulkhead, is free to deform, going along and following the deformation of the wing: thereby, the gap which would be created between the wing and the frame is canceled or significantly reduced, and the fire device retains its efficiency and resistance to heat and fumes (as seen in FIG. 15 ).
- the gasket ensures the resistance even where the detachment between the frame and the bulkhead occurs. Therefore, the wing is made of a malleable material, which deforms under the action of heat, though ensuring a sufficient fire resistance.
- FIG. 16 shows a comparative graph between the gap which is created between a traditional wing-frame assembly and an assembly according to the invention, when exposed to a heat source which hits them from one side: the graph highlights how, in the traditional assembly (which is associated with the upper curve), the relative deviation between the wing and the frame is significantly higher than that of the assembly according to the invention (which is associated with the lower curve), generating a wide gap between the components of the assembly, which affects the resistance of the fire device.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrammatic perspective views in partial longitudinal section of a vessel and of a detail of the vessel in FIG. 1 , respectively;
- FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a detail of FIG. 2 , which shows a plurality of bulkheads on which a plurality of doors is mounted, according to the prior art;
- FIGS. 4 and 5 are stress diagrams of a vertical section of the hull of a vessel and of the vicinity of the compartment of a door, respectively, when the vessel is subjected to the wave load;
- FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic cross-sectional views of two fastening assemblies of a door to a bulkhead, according to the prior art
- FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a fastening assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGS. 9 and 10 are diagrammatic, axonometric views, a front and a back view respectively, of a door mounted on a bulkhead, according to the embodiment of the invention in FIG. 9 ;
- FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a detail of FIG. 10 ;
- FIGS. 12 and 13 are diagrammatic cross-sectional views of two further embodiments of a fastening assembly according to the present invention.
- FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a fastening assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a feature of a fastening assembly subjected to deformation due to intense heat
- FIG. 16 is a comparative graph of the relative door-frame displacement, as a function of time, of a fastening assembly according to the prior art and of an assembly according to the invention, when the assembly is hit by intense heat.
- a vessel 5 has a plurality of bulkheads 10 , on which openings adapted to receive fire doors 11 may be obtained, connected to the bulkheads by means of frames 12 (seen in FIG. 3 ).
- frame 12 is an extruded metal element which has a bracket 12 a parallel to said bulkhead 10 .
- Frame 12 to which the door or leaf or wing 11 is hinged, is rigidly constrained to the bulkhead by means of a certain number of joints 16 .
- Such joints may be of the bolt type, or may be in the form of a spot or continuous weld.
- Wing 11 is made of a malleable material which has a sufficient fire resistance; the wing or fire door 11 is preferably made of a material which has a yield stress greater than or equal to 230 MPa; preferably, 5235, 5275 or 5355 structural steel may be used.
- the frame is directly constrained to bulkhead 10 by means of bolted joints 16 passing through said bulkhead 10 ; in the example in FIG. 7 , instead, the constraint made by the bolted joints 16 , passing through bulkhead 10 , is reinforced thus forcing said bulkhead 10 between the first bracket 12 a of frame 12 , and a second bracket 14 a of a subframe 14 .
- the second bracket 14 a is parallel to both the first bracket 12 a and the bulkhead 10 , and is connected to the first bracket 12 a by means of additional bolted joints arranged in a direction perpendicular to bulkhead 10 . Therefore, the first bracket 12 a will face a first side surface 10 a of bulkhead 10 , while the second bracket 14 a will face a second side surface 10 b , opposite to the first side surface 10 a , of bulkhead 10 .
- Joint 16 exerts a tightening action between the two brackets 12 a , 14 a , which rigidly retains bulkhead 10 between said brackets.
- Joint 16 may be made by coupling a countersunk screw 16 a to a nut 16 b , possibly with the interposition of a washer 16 c between the nut and the subframe.
- FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of a fastening assembly 9 of door 11 to bulkhead 10 , according to the present invention.
- frame 12 and subframe 14 (which form the fastening assembly 9 ) have two brackets 12 a , 14 a at least partly facing and parallel to bulkhead 10 , said brackets being separated by a first transverse distance A set to limit, without clasping, the bulkhead 10 .
- Said distance A may be substantially equal to or greater than the thickness of bulkhead 10 ; optionally, there may be a clearance between the bulkhead and the frame/subframe, so as to facilitate the mutual movement between the parts and further decrease the friction.
- brackets 12 a , 14 a which face the first side surface 10 a and second side surface 10 b , respectively, there are no junctions nor connecting elements, adapted to transmit a tightening force between the two brackets.
- the joint does not engage nor perforate the bulkhead, thus avoiding unwanted tensions from being generated and effectively decoupling the bulkhead from the frame, as already said.
- the joints 16 are arranged so as to have longitudinal axis x parallel to bulkhead 10 ; a connection of the above-described type may be made by mutually constraining at least one primary flange 12 b and at least one secondary flange 14 b , forming part of frame 12 and subframe 14 , respectively, by means of the aforesaid joints 16 , said flanges being mechanically connected to said first and second brackets 12 a , 14 a .
- Joint 16 may be provided with an anti-unscrewing system in order to avoid the risk of disassembly during the ship operation.
- the number and orientation of said primary and secondary flanges may be variable, as well as the orientation of the joints 16 which connect such flanges (see, for example, FIG. 14 ), as long as no coupling between the aforesaid portions of the brackets 12 a , 14 a facing the bulkhead 10 is achieved, such as to generate an exchange of forces between said portions of the brackets.
- said flanges 12 b , 14 b must be mutually fastened so as to ensure, between the aforesaid portions of the brackets 12 a , 14 a facing the bulkhead 10 , the first transverse distance A as predetermined, so that the fastening constraint of the door to the bulkhead is not of the rigid type, and since the tightening action is much lower with respect to the cases contemplated in the prior art, the stresses transmitted from the bulkhead to the frame will also be less harmful.
- the dimensional tolerances when manufacturing the various flanges 12 b , 14 b of the frame and the subframe should be particularly taken into account.
- Frame 12 may consists of multiple juxtaposed frame segments or portions, rather than being monolithic as in the example shown herein.
- it may be made of extruded aluminum, and made heat-resistant by means of a frame top (not shown), made of steel for example.
- Subframe 14 (as seen in FIGS. 10 and 11 ) preferably comprises a plurality of plates spaced apart and bent at right angles, rather than being a single continuous extruded piece completely overlapping frame 12 .
- the joints 16 in place of the bolted joints depicted here, may be of the welded type, or may be interlocking systems, according to embodiments not shown.
- FIGS. 12 and 13 show two further embodiments of a fastening assembly according to the present invention, adapted to allow door 11 to be installed on a plane transversely spaced apart from bulkhead 10 .
- the fastening assembly including frame 12 and subframe being facing is similar to the previously described cases; in the example shown herein, the assembly 9 of frame 12 and subframe 14 is not directly connected to the bulkhead, but to a structure 20 comprising, according to an embodiment of the invention, a first and a second additional bracket 21 , 22 , conveniently welded together and rigidly connected to bulkhead 10 .
- Such additional brackets 21 , 22 may be variable in number, size and orientation, provided that the second additional bracket 22 is shaped and oriented so as to be received between the first 12 a and second 14 a of the brackets facing frame 12 and subframe 14 ; it is meant that, with regard to the features of said second additional bracket 22 and of the connection thereof to the fastening assembly 9 , the same applies as previously said in connection with the modes of connecting assembly 9 to bulkhead 10 .
- FIG. 13 shows an alternative embodiment, also adapted to space the bulkhead 10 from the leaf 11 of the door transversely.
- frame 12 comprises a certain number of the primary flanges 12 b , mutually aligned and joined along a direction perpendicular to bulkhead 10 , so as to increase or vary a second transverse distance B between the bulkhead and the leaf, when the latter is in the closed condition.
- Such primary flanges 12 b may be mutually constrained, for example, by means of welding (as shown in FIG. 5 ).
- the second transverse distance B will depend on the number and/or extension in the transverse direction (with respect to the bulkhead 10 ) of such flanges 12 b.
- a sealing element 18 may be interposed between frame (conveniently, at the portion of the first bracket 12 a facing the bulkhead) and bulkhead 10 , which sealing element 18 may comprise a sealing adhesive and a heat-expanding gasket.
- a sealant 18 may be inserted between bulkhead 10 and subframe 14 (conveniently, at the portion of the second bracket 14 a facing the bulkhead), alternatively or in addition to the sealant placed between frame 12 and bulkhead 10 .
- the sealing element 18 is compressed between frame 12 and bulkhead 10 , the possibility of having a certain clearance between said frame and bulkhead (for example, by broadening the distance A between the facing brackets 12 a , 14 a ), increases the functions of the sealing element.
- the heat-expanding gasket under critical conditions of temperature increase or fire, can freely increase its volume to occupy the entire clearance and ensure the sealing of the joint from the fumes or flames.
- the sealing adhesive and heat-expanding gasket of the sealing element 18 synergistically work to meet the requirement of fume and flame resistance, required both in operation as well as for passing the standard fire test in accordance with the Fire Test Procedure of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
- IMO International Maritime Organization
- the sealing adhesive In the first part of the test, i.e. until the connecting joint is at a temperature below 250° C., the sealing adhesive will ensure the joint resistance. For higher temperatures, the sealant could significantly deteriorate and no longer be able to fulfill its function, but for the purposes of the joint sealing, the heat-expanding gasket comes into operation, being able to work from about 200° C. up to the maximum temperatures which are reached at the end of the test. Ultimately, the combined use of sealant and heat-expanding gasket ensures the sealing of the joint, both when the door is mounted on board of the vessel, and for the whole duration of the standard fire test.
- adhesive materials used for sealing the joint may be silicone-based, even with flame-retardant properties, capable of reaching operating temperatures of up to 250° C. and withstanding temperature peaks of up to 300° C. for limited periods of time.
- Other adhesive sealants may be, for example:
- the materials used for manufacturing heat-expanding gaskets usually consist of graphite, or other mineral fibers, which ensure the resistance to high temperatures, and of small percentage amounts of organic materials used to give the system the intumescence function with temperature.
- the sealing element 18 may be made, completely or in part, of an insulating material commercially known as Bifire®, the features of which are herein incorporated by reference.
- the fastening assembly 9 comprising frame and subframe 14
- bulkhead 10 or to the additional bracket 22 of structure 20
- a high number of connecting joints between frame and subframe is not required, since the forces exchanged are not comparable to the case where such joints directly connect the frame to the bulkhead or to the subframe. Therefore, unlike the conventional solutions, which require a continuous welding over the whole periphery of the door or, for the bolted solutions, the drilling of several holes on the bulkhead (made of steel, aluminum alloy or other metal), in the present invention the mounting operation is easier and less burdensome given the lower number of joining points needed and the possibility of drilling the holes on the frame in the workshop, and not on the bulkhead on board of the ship.
- a fastening assembly of a door to a bulkhead allows the frame to be protected from the stresses transmitted by the wave load through the bulkhead, and therefore the occurrence of fatigue phenomena or other damages to the frame to be prevented, which phenomena may affect the structural integrity and/or the operational efficiency of the door.
Abstract
A fastening assembly of a fire door to a bulkhead includes a shaped frame, to which is hinged the door, which includes a first bracket facing at least in part a first side surface of the bulkhead, and a primary flange, mechanically connected to the first bracket. The fastening assembly has a subframe, which in turn includes a second bracket, parallel to the first bracket and facing a second side surface of the bulkhead, and at least one secondary flange, mechanically connected to the second bracket. At least one joint mutually connects the frame and the subframe, to retain the bulkhead between the first and the second bracket mutually facing, without engaging simultaneously the bulkhead the portion of the first bracket facing the first side surface and the portion of the second bracket facing the second side surface.
Description
- The present invention pertains, in general, to the field of fastening assemblies of a door to a fixed support; in particular, the invention relates to a fastening assembly of a fire door, in particular to be used in the naval field.
- Fire doors conventionally adopted in shipbuilding are connected by means of a weld joint or bolted joint with through screws on the ship bulkhead.
- An example of a solution to secure a door to a bulkhead, of the type just described, can be found in KR20040045075A.
- More specifically, in the prior art use is made of a connecting weld joint between the steel frame of the door and the steel bulkhead of the ship or, alternatively, of bolted joints which rigidly constrain the frame to the bulkhead connected thereto.
- In both cases, as the ship subjected to wave load is in operation, the door frame is inevitably stressed, since it is rigidly connected to the bulkhead.
- Moreover, the prior solutions have criticalities in the mounting process, which requires a large use of labor and time, needed for the installation of the door.
- Such criticalities are added to the aforementioned problems related to the operation of the ship, since the rigidity of the conventional connecting joints causes the stresses resulting from the global loads of the ship to be transmitted to the door frame, thus compromising the functions thereof and/or initiating fatigue cracks on the frame (with consequent reduction of the device life).
- For example, given the need to manually obtain the housing compartment of the door in the bulkhead, the profile of the opening thus achieved will appear uneven, thus causing difficulties in the welding between the frame and the bulkhead, unless not to carry out the trimming of such a profile.
- In order to obviate some of the above-mentioned drawbacks, in the state of the art it has also been suggested to place the door and the bulkhead on staggered planes, connecting the two elements by means of an L-shaped structure welded to the bulkhead in a cantilever manner; by doing so, the need also disappears to provide fittings in the corners of the frame intended to receive the door, which may therefore be made with a sharp edge. In fact, as it can be seen in
FIGS. 4 and 5 , the wave load transmits a stress to the vessel structure, which stress becomes critical in C areas tending to thicken in the vicinity of the door compartments; in order to avoid the occurrence of cracks and other fatigue phenomena, due to the localized concentration of the tensions transmitted from the bulkhead to the frame, the corners of the compartments are fitted along radiuses of curvature which make the installation of the door on a plane coplanar to the bulkhead plane uncomfortable. - In addition, the door and the support frame thereof may be previously mounted on the structure, so that the preassembled assembly can be simply transferred on board of the vessel and here constrained to the bulkhead by means of welding.
- Making use of the bolted joint allows the problem of the uneven profile of the bulkhead edge to be overcome, otherwise intended to be welded to the support frame of the door leaf. Moreover, in the prior art the possibility of tightening said bulkhead between the frame and a subframe connected to each other by means of a plurality of additional joining elements arranged in a direction perpendicular to the bulkhead is contemplated, the frame engaging a face of the bulkhead and the subframe the opposite face (as shown in
FIG. 7 ). Because the frame and the subframe clasp the bulkhead acting on both faces and not on the single edge of the compartment, any imperfections or corrugations of the profile to be welded and/or flatness defects of the bulkhead do not affect the effectiveness of the constraint. Moreover, it is preferred to tighten the bulkhead bilaterally in a sandwiched fashion by means of the frame and the subframe for an optimal resistance to water. - Such a configuration allows a further advantage to be achieved, since the constraint made by the additional joining elements allows the number of tightening elements passing through the bulkhead to be decreased, thereby making the on-board installation of the article less difficult.
- However, a thus configured connection still makes a rigid constraint between the frame-subframe assembly and the bulkhead, due to the tightening action exerted thereon by the bolted joint; therefore, such a solution suffers from the problems related to the excessive stress on the frame due to the wave load transmitted by the bulkhead.
- Moreover, as the deformability of the wing of the fire door is highly greater than the deformability of the frame (rigidly constrained to the bulkhead and/or to the subframe), the wing will tend to open up with respect to the frame, thus creating a passageway for heat and fumes.
- It is an object of the present invention to obviate the limitations of the prior art, by providing a connection between a fire door and a bulkhead, in particular in the nautical/naval field, which allows the frame to be protected from excessive and repeated stresses which can initiate cracks or deformation and/or compromise the functions of the safety device, even improving the fireproof capacity.
- It is a further object of the present invention to simplify the operation of mounting the door to the bulkhead, thus minimizing the number and difficulty of the operations to be carried out for the installation.
- In order to achieve such results, the frame and the subframe are connected to each other, according to an embodiment of the invention, by means of a bolted joint, with screws arranged in a direction parallel to the bulkhead: thereby, the frame and the subframe are not subjected to a tightening force on the bulkhead, but only to the maintenance of a mutual distance between two facing brackets (integral with the frame and the subframe, respectively), in order to allow the facing frame and subframe to receive the bulkhead within such brackets, possibly preserving a certain clearance.
- Therefore, as the constraint between the frame and the bulkhead is not rigid, but shaped so as to allow relative displacements between the two parts, the stresses on the frame will not be such as to cause deformations or fatigue damages. In fact, while in the prior art the bulkhead, in addition to being connected to the frame by means of through screws therethrough, is gripped between the frame and the subframe with a force related to the tightening of the joint, so as to generate a high friction between the parts which stiffens the constraint and causes strong stresses on the frame, in the present invention the bulkhead and the frame are only subjected to a location constraint, thus minimizing the friction exchanged between the two elements.
- The lability degree introduced in the constraint by the decoupling between the frame and the bulkhead allows, with respect to the prior art, jamming phenomena of the door to be avoided, which phenomena are due to the deformation transmitted from the bulkhead to the frame; thereby, the risk disappears that the door is stuck in the frame, as a result of an excessive deformation of the bulkhead due, for example, to the wave load, or on the contrary that the door does not enter in the frame, thus preventing the fire device from being correctly closed. It is apparent that, especially in case of emergency, the operation of the fastening assembly, according to the present invention, as a passive anti-locking safety device of the doors ensures a significant advantage over the known solutions.
- In addition, due to the mechanical decoupling between the frame and the bulkhead, being the deformation from the bulkhead and transmitted to the frame (generated due to the global ship loads) minimized, the use of constructionally lighter and simpler, therefore less costly, frames is made possible.
- In fact, the frame must be sized to resist only to local loads related to the functions of the door and not to withstand the stresses resulting from the deformations generated by the bulkhead, as it occurs instead in the solutions of the prior art (in which the frame, being rigidly constrained to the bulkhead, becomes a structural element of the vessel).
- Moreover, with a fastening assembly of the door to the bulkhead according to the present invention, there is no need to join the frame and the subframe in a high number of points (to give the constraint an adequate tightening). Instead, few joining points may be provided, since the frame-subframe assembly is not rigidly connected to the bulkhead, and does not undergo particularly dangerous stresses: therefore, it is sufficient to ensure a minimum connection strength between the aforesaid elements, in order to ensure the maintenance of the predetermined distance between the facing brackets which receive the bulkhead.
- The possibility of reducing the number of joining points, as well as the absence of holes to be drilled on the bulkhead to allow the fastening of the frame, allow the cost and time of installation of the door to be lowered significantly.
- A further advantage, achievable by the aforesaid feature, consists in that, when the door must withstand a fire condition, the frame, not being rigidly connected to the bulkhead, is free to deform, going along and following the deformation of the wing: thereby, the gap which would be created between the wing and the frame is canceled or significantly reduced, and the fire device retains its efficiency and resistance to heat and fumes (as seen in
FIG. 15 ). The gasket ensures the resistance even where the detachment between the frame and the bulkhead occurs. Therefore, the wing is made of a malleable material, which deforms under the action of heat, though ensuring a sufficient fire resistance. -
FIG. 16 shows a comparative graph between the gap which is created between a traditional wing-frame assembly and an assembly according to the invention, when exposed to a heat source which hits them from one side: the graph highlights how, in the traditional assembly (which is associated with the upper curve), the relative deviation between the wing and the frame is significantly higher than that of the assembly according to the invention (which is associated with the lower curve), generating a wide gap between the components of the assembly, which affects the resistance of the fire device. - The aforesaid and other objects and advantages are achieved, according to one aspect of the invention, by an assembly having the features defined in claim 1, and by a fastening method of a door to a bulkhead according to
claim 12. Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims. - The operational and structural features of some preferred embodiments of a fastening assembly according to the invention will now be described. Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrammatic perspective views in partial longitudinal section of a vessel and of a detail of the vessel inFIG. 1 , respectively; -
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a detail ofFIG. 2 , which shows a plurality of bulkheads on which a plurality of doors is mounted, according to the prior art; -
FIGS. 4 and 5 are stress diagrams of a vertical section of the hull of a vessel and of the vicinity of the compartment of a door, respectively, when the vessel is subjected to the wave load; -
FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic cross-sectional views of two fastening assemblies of a door to a bulkhead, according to the prior art; -
FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a fastening assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIGS. 9 and 10 are diagrammatic, axonometric views, a front and a back view respectively, of a door mounted on a bulkhead, according to the embodiment of the invention inFIG. 9 ; -
FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a detail ofFIG. 10 ; -
FIGS. 12 and 13 are diagrammatic cross-sectional views of two further embodiments of a fastening assembly according to the present invention; -
FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a fastening assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a feature of a fastening assembly subjected to deformation due to intense heat; -
FIG. 16 is a comparative graph of the relative door-frame displacement, as a function of time, of a fastening assembly according to the prior art and of an assembly according to the invention, when the assembly is hit by intense heat. - Before explaining in detail a plurality of embodiments of the invention, it should be clear that the invention is not limited in the application thereof to the constructional details and to the configuration of the components disclosed in the following description or shown in the drawings.
- Referring first to
FIGS. 1 and 2 , avessel 5 has a plurality ofbulkheads 10, on which openings adapted to receivefire doors 11 may be obtained, connected to the bulkheads by means of frames 12 (seen inFIG. 3 ). - Referring then to
FIGS. 6 and 7 , concerning two fastening solutions of thefire door 11 to thebulkhead 10 according to the prior art,frame 12 is an extruded metal element which has abracket 12 a parallel to saidbulkhead 10.Frame 12, to which the door or leaf orwing 11 is hinged, is rigidly constrained to the bulkhead by means of a certain number ofjoints 16. Such joints may be of the bolt type, or may be in the form of a spot or continuous weld.Wing 11 is made of a malleable material which has a sufficient fire resistance; the wing orfire door 11 is preferably made of a material which has a yield stress greater than or equal to 230 MPa; preferably, 5235, 5275 or 5355 structural steel may be used. - In
FIG. 6 , the frame is directly constrained tobulkhead 10 by means ofbolted joints 16 passing through saidbulkhead 10; in the example inFIG. 7 , instead, the constraint made by thebolted joints 16, passing throughbulkhead 10, is reinforced thus forcing saidbulkhead 10 between thefirst bracket 12 a offrame 12, and asecond bracket 14 a of asubframe 14. Thesecond bracket 14 a is parallel to both thefirst bracket 12 a and thebulkhead 10, and is connected to thefirst bracket 12 a by means of additional bolted joints arranged in a direction perpendicular tobulkhead 10. Therefore, thefirst bracket 12 a will face afirst side surface 10 a ofbulkhead 10, while thesecond bracket 14 a will face asecond side surface 10 b, opposite to thefirst side surface 10 a, ofbulkhead 10. -
Joint 16, as previously mentioned, exerts a tightening action between the twobrackets bulkhead 10 between said brackets.Joint 16 may be made by coupling acountersunk screw 16 a to anut 16 b, possibly with the interposition of a washer 16 c between the nut and the subframe. -
FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of afastening assembly 9 ofdoor 11 tobulkhead 10, according to the present invention. Also in this case,frame 12 and subframe 14 (which form the fastening assembly 9) have twobrackets bulkhead 10, said brackets being separated by a first transverse distance A set to limit, without clasping, thebulkhead 10. Said distance A may be substantially equal to or greater than the thickness ofbulkhead 10; optionally, there may be a clearance between the bulkhead and the frame/subframe, so as to facilitate the mutual movement between the parts and further decrease the friction. - However, between the portions of
such brackets first side surface 10 a andsecond side surface 10 b, respectively, there are no junctions nor connecting elements, adapted to transmit a tightening force between the two brackets. Moreover, the joint does not engage nor perforate the bulkhead, thus avoiding unwanted tensions from being generated and effectively decoupling the bulkhead from the frame, as already said. In the example shown herein, thejoints 16 are arranged so as to have longitudinal axis x parallel tobulkhead 10; a connection of the above-described type may be made by mutually constraining at least oneprimary flange 12 b and at least onesecondary flange 14 b, forming part offrame 12 andsubframe 14, respectively, by means of theaforesaid joints 16, said flanges being mechanically connected to said first andsecond brackets - The number and orientation of said primary and secondary flanges may be variable, as well as the orientation of the
joints 16 which connect such flanges (see, for example,FIG. 14 ), as long as no coupling between the aforesaid portions of thebrackets bulkhead 10 is achieved, such as to generate an exchange of forces between said portions of the brackets. - In any case, said
flanges brackets bulkhead 10, the first transverse distance A as predetermined, so that the fastening constraint of the door to the bulkhead is not of the rigid type, and since the tightening action is much lower with respect to the cases contemplated in the prior art, the stresses transmitted from the bulkhead to the frame will also be less harmful. In the example shown inFIG. 14 , in order to ensure the correct extension of said distance A, the dimensional tolerances when manufacturing thevarious flanges -
Frame 12, according to an embodiment (not shown), may consists of multiple juxtaposed frame segments or portions, rather than being monolithic as in the example shown herein. - Moreover, it may be made of extruded aluminum, and made heat-resistant by means of a frame top (not shown), made of steel for example.
- Subframe 14 (as seen in
FIGS. 10 and 11 ) preferably comprises a plurality of plates spaced apart and bent at right angles, rather than being a single continuous extruded piece completely overlappingframe 12. - The
joints 16, in place of the bolted joints depicted here, may be of the welded type, or may be interlocking systems, according to embodiments not shown. -
FIGS. 12 and 13 show two further embodiments of a fastening assembly according to the present invention, adapted to allowdoor 11 to be installed on a plane transversely spaced apart frombulkhead 10. - Throughout the present description and in the claims, the terms and expressions indicating positions and orientations, such as “longitudinal”, “transverse”, “vertical” or “horizontal”, shall be referred to
bulkhead 10. - In the example shown in
FIG. 12 , the fasteningassembly including frame 12 and subframe being facing, is similar to the previously described cases; in the example shown herein, theassembly 9 offrame 12 andsubframe 14 is not directly connected to the bulkhead, but to astructure 20 comprising, according to an embodiment of the invention, a first and a secondadditional bracket bulkhead 10. Suchadditional brackets additional bracket 22 is shaped and oriented so as to be received between the first 12 a and second 14 a of thebrackets facing frame 12 andsubframe 14; it is meant that, with regard to the features of said secondadditional bracket 22 and of the connection thereof to thefastening assembly 9, the same applies as previously said in connection with the modes of connectingassembly 9 tobulkhead 10. - The use of such a
structure 20, as already mentioned, allows the door to be placed on a staggered plane with respect tobulkhead 10, while making the installation ofdoor 11 on board of the vessel easier, since the structure and the door may be preassembled or retrofitted on the bulkhead. Therefore, the difference with respect to the previously discussed cases consists in that, in place ofbulkhead 10, the first and thesecond brackets structure 20, in place of thebulkhead 10 of the vessel. -
FIG. 13 shows an alternative embodiment, also adapted to space thebulkhead 10 from theleaf 11 of the door transversely. In this case,frame 12 comprises a certain number of theprimary flanges 12 b, mutually aligned and joined along a direction perpendicular tobulkhead 10, so as to increase or vary a second transverse distance B between the bulkhead and the leaf, when the latter is in the closed condition. Suchprimary flanges 12 b may be mutually constrained, for example, by means of welding (as shown inFIG. 5 ). - Therefore, the second transverse distance B will depend on the number and/or extension in the transverse direction (with respect to the bulkhead 10) of
such flanges 12 b. - According to an embodiment of the invention, a sealing
element 18 may be interposed between frame (conveniently, at the portion of thefirst bracket 12 a facing the bulkhead) andbulkhead 10, which sealingelement 18 may comprise a sealing adhesive and a heat-expanding gasket. According to an embodiment (not shown), such asealant 18 may be inserted betweenbulkhead 10 and subframe 14 (conveniently, at the portion of thesecond bracket 14 a facing the bulkhead), alternatively or in addition to the sealant placed betweenframe 12 andbulkhead 10. - With respect to the prior art, in which the sealing
element 18 is compressed betweenframe 12 andbulkhead 10, the possibility of having a certain clearance between said frame and bulkhead (for example, by broadening the distance A between the facingbrackets - The sealing adhesive and heat-expanding gasket of the sealing
element 18 synergistically work to meet the requirement of fume and flame resistance, required both in operation as well as for passing the standard fire test in accordance with the Fire Test Procedure of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). - In the first part of the test, i.e. until the connecting joint is at a temperature below 250° C., the sealing adhesive will ensure the joint resistance. For higher temperatures, the sealant could significantly deteriorate and no longer be able to fulfill its function, but for the purposes of the joint sealing, the heat-expanding gasket comes into operation, being able to work from about 200° C. up to the maximum temperatures which are reached at the end of the test. Ultimately, the combined use of sealant and heat-expanding gasket ensures the sealing of the joint, both when the door is mounted on board of the vessel, and for the whole duration of the standard fire test.
- By way of example, adhesive materials used for sealing the joint may be silicone-based, even with flame-retardant properties, capable of reaching operating temperatures of up to 250° C. and withstanding temperature peaks of up to 300° C. for limited periods of time. Other adhesive sealants may be, for example:
-
- mono and bi-component polyurethane-based, with flame-retardant properties, suitable to withstand maximum temperatures of up to 150° C.;
- based on hybrid polymers, with flame-retardant properties, suitable to withstand maximum temperatures of up to 150° C.;
- based on acrylic materials, with flame-retardant properties, suitable to withstand temperatures up to 150° C. and in some formulations with excellent flame reaction properties.
- The materials used for manufacturing heat-expanding gaskets usually consist of graphite, or other mineral fibers, which ensure the resistance to high temperatures, and of small percentage amounts of organic materials used to give the system the intumescence function with temperature. Optionally, the sealing
element 18 may be made, completely or in part, of an insulating material commercially known as Bifire®, the features of which are herein incorporated by reference. - As the
fastening assembly 9, comprising frame andsubframe 14, is not rigidly connected to bulkhead 10 (or to theadditional bracket 22 of structure 20), a high number of connecting joints between frame and subframe is not required, since the forces exchanged are not comparable to the case where such joints directly connect the frame to the bulkhead or to the subframe. Therefore, unlike the conventional solutions, which require a continuous welding over the whole periphery of the door or, for the bolted solutions, the drilling of several holes on the bulkhead (made of steel, aluminum alloy or other metal), in the present invention the mounting operation is easier and less burdensome given the lower number of joining points needed and the possibility of drilling the holes on the frame in the workshop, and not on the bulkhead on board of the ship. - Moreover, a fastening assembly of a door to a bulkhead according to the present invention allows the frame to be protected from the stresses transmitted by the wave load through the bulkhead, and therefore the occurrence of fatigue phenomena or other damages to the frame to be prevented, which phenomena may affect the structural integrity and/or the operational efficiency of the door.
- Various aspects and embodiments of the fastening assembly according to the invention have been described. It is understood that each embodiment may be combined with any other embodiment. Moreover, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but may be varied within the scope defined by the appended claims.
Claims (21)
1. A fastening assembly of a fire door to a bulkhead, said bulkhead comprising a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to the first side surface; said assembly comprising:
a shaped frame, which the door is hinged to, the shaped frame includes:
a first bracket, at least partly facing the first side surface of said bulkhead; and
at least one primary flange, mechanically connected to said first bracket;
a subframe comprising:
a second bracket, parallel to the first bracket and facing the second side surface of said bulkhead; and
at least one secondary flange, mechanically connected to said second bracket;
at least one joint, able to tighten the frame to the subframe to retain the bulkhead between said mutually facing first and second brackets;
wherein:
the at least one joint connects the at least one primary flange with the at least one secondary flange, avoiding engaging at the same time the portion of the first bracket facing the first side surface, and the portion of the second bracket facing the second side surface, and avoiding directly engaging the bulkhead, the at least one joint being oriented along an axis parallel to said first and second brackets.
2. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second brackets are separated by a preset first transverse distance.
3. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said primary and secondary flanges have a length, measured with respect to a direction perpendicular to the bulkhead, such that the door lies substantially on a same plane defined by said bulkhead.
4. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a plurality of primary flanges substantially aligned along a direction perpendicular to the bulkhead, so that, by varying a number and/or extension of said flanges along said perpendicular direction, a second transverse distance, between the bulk-head and a closure plan of the door, changes.
5. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said assembly connects the door to a structure fixed perpendicular to the bulk-head.
6. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein between the first bracket and the bulkhead, and/or between the second bracket and the bulkhead, a sealing adhesive and a heat-expanding gasket are interposed.
7. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the frame is a composite frame and is formed by a plurality of juxtaposed frame portions.
8. An assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the fire door is made of a malleable material and has a yield stress greater than or equal to 230 MPa.
9. An assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the material is S235, S275 or S355 structural steel.
10. A vessel, comprising at least one bulkhead and at least one fastener assembly of a fire door to the bulkhead, according to claim 1 .
11. A method for fastening a fire door to a bulkhead, comprising the steps of:
a) providing a frame comprising a first bracket and at least one primary flange;
b) providing a subframe comprising a second bracket and at least one secondary flange;
c) arranging the frame, so that the first bracket at least partly faces a first side surface of said bulkhead;
d) arranging the subframe so that the second bracket at least partly faces a second side surface of said bulkhead opposite to the first side surface;
e) providing at least one joint;
f) connecting, via the at least one joint, the at least one primary flange to the at least one secondary flange in such a way so that the joint avoids simultaneously engaging the portion of the first bracket facing the first side surface; and the portion of the second bracket facing the second side surface of the bulkhead, and avoids directly engaging the bulkhead and so that the at least one joint is oriented along an axis parallel to said first and second brackets;
g) hinging the fire door to the frame.
12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein step is performed so that the portion of the first bracket, facing the first side surface, and the portion of the second bracket facing the second side surface of the bulkhead, are separated by a preset first transverse distance.
13. A method according to claim 11 , wherein step (f) is performed so that the door, when in a closed position, substantially lies on a same plane defined by the bulkhead.
14. A method according to claim 11 , wherein step is followed by the step of aligning, in a direction perpendicular to the bulkhead, and mutually joining a plurality of primary flanges, so as to vary a second transverse distance between the bulkhead and a plane on which the door lies when in a closed position.
15. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of providing a structure that includes at least a first additional bracket and at least a second additional bracket.
16. A method according to claim 15 , comprising the step of securing the first additional bracket to the bulkhead and securing the second additional bracket to the first additional bracket, so that said second additional bracket is at least partly received between at least part of the first bracket and at least part of the second bracket and are mutually facing.
17. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of inserting between the portion of the first bracket facing the first side surface and the bulkhead, and/or between the portion of the second bracket facing the second side surface and the bulkhead, a sealing adhesive and a heat-expanding gasket.
18. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of composing the frame by juxtaposition of a plurality of frame portions.
19. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of providing the fire door in a malleable material which has a yield stress greater than or equal to 230 MPa.
20. An assembly according to claim 19 , wherein the material is S235, S275 or S355 structural steel.
21. A method for securing a fire door to a bulkhead of a vessel, comprising the steps of claim 11 .
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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ITMI2014A001952 | 2014-11-12 | ||
ITMI2014A1952 | 2014-11-12 | ||
ITMI20141952 | 2014-11-12 | ||
PCT/IB2015/058703 WO2016075629A1 (en) | 2014-11-12 | 2015-11-11 | Fastening assembly of a fire door to a bulkhead |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20180148142A1 true US20180148142A1 (en) | 2018-05-31 |
US10106232B2 US10106232B2 (en) | 2018-10-23 |
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US15/525,872 Active US10106232B2 (en) | 2014-11-12 | 2015-11-11 | Fastening assembly of a fire door to a bulkhead |
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US (1) | US10106232B2 (en) |
EP (1) | EP3218253B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN107107999B (en) |
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Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP3620603A1 (en) | 2018-09-03 | 2020-03-11 | Sturm GmbH | Mounting system for walls |
CN111547185A (en) * | 2020-04-24 | 2020-08-18 | 上海外高桥造船有限公司 | Fixing device of boats and ships |
US11231022B2 (en) * | 2017-05-17 | 2022-01-25 | Cambridge Mechatronics Limited | Electrical connections for SMA actuators |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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CN110259336B (en) * | 2019-05-15 | 2020-09-15 | 宿州市思达特科技有限公司 | Composite color steel tile for wall |
CN110667774A (en) * | 2019-11-06 | 2020-01-10 | 上海咔滨船舶装备有限公司 | Mounting structure of boats and ships fire prevention cold storage door |
CN116238641B (en) * | 2023-05-08 | 2023-07-18 | 招商局金陵船舶(威海)有限公司 | Marine landing window and installation method thereof |
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SE324878B (en) * | 1969-01-23 | 1970-06-15 | Hellbergs Ind Ab | |
US4128977A (en) * | 1973-11-05 | 1978-12-12 | Schubeis Ewald I E | Door frame, especially for fireproof doors |
KR100485363B1 (en) * | 2002-11-22 | 2005-04-27 | (주)코스모 | Marine fire door |
EP1818495A1 (en) * | 2006-02-13 | 2007-08-15 | Opacmare S.p.A. | Method of fabricating a door or window frame for a boat and door or window for a boat |
CN201419786Y (en) * | 2009-05-11 | 2010-03-10 | 江苏海陆装饰有限公司 | Marine wall-enclosing board access door |
KR20120010772A (en) * | 2010-07-27 | 2012-02-06 | 삼성중공업 주식회사 | Constructing structure of fire door |
-
2015
- 2015-11-11 WO PCT/IB2015/058703 patent/WO2016075629A1/en active Application Filing
- 2015-11-11 CN CN201580071336.XA patent/CN107107999B/en active Active
- 2015-11-11 US US15/525,872 patent/US10106232B2/en active Active
- 2015-11-11 EP EP15808802.1A patent/EP3218253B1/en active Active
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US11231022B2 (en) * | 2017-05-17 | 2022-01-25 | Cambridge Mechatronics Limited | Electrical connections for SMA actuators |
US11725636B2 (en) | 2017-05-17 | 2023-08-15 | Cambridge Mechatronics Limited | Electrical connections for SMA actuators |
EP3620603A1 (en) | 2018-09-03 | 2020-03-11 | Sturm GmbH | Mounting system for walls |
CN111547185A (en) * | 2020-04-24 | 2020-08-18 | 上海外高桥造船有限公司 | Fixing device of boats and ships |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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US10106232B2 (en) | 2018-10-23 |
EP3218253B1 (en) | 2019-04-03 |
CN107107999B (en) | 2019-08-27 |
CN107107999A (en) | 2017-08-29 |
WO2016075629A1 (en) | 2016-05-19 |
EP3218253A1 (en) | 2017-09-20 |
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